Sounding board



Jan. 10, 1933. J, H M JR 1,893,894

SOUNDING BOARD Original Filed June 6, 1929 INVENTOR f *7 W BY 4 g; 1 49% ATTORNEY5 v m (F23 rattan er m...

llrlninal application tiled dune a, rats, serial Lalo. erases. Divided and this application tiled July at,

Elhttl, Serial lilo. lfid liltl, Renewed Zl'une a, lttllt.

is applied to a portion of the sounding board ot a piano which is suhstantially inactive for it each oi the notes oi the musical scale. The

arrangement is such that the loud spealrer may he utilized tor the reproduction of programs without interfering with the operation of the piano or the reeniorcing qualities oi till the sounding hoard.

A feature ol: the invention is a sounding hoard, a portion of which is mounted in cantilever relationship to the frame or? the piano and is tree to vihrate at its outer edges,

further feature oi the invention is a sounding hoard having a loud spealrer or other device mounted on a cantilever portion so not to interfere with the normal action of the remaining" portion oi the sounding hill) be i .1 he invention also consists in certain new and original 'ieatures of construction and coruhinations parts hereinafter set :torth or moved Althoug 1 e novel teatures which are helieved he characteristic of invention will he particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, invention itself, as to its ohiects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may he hotter understood hy referring to the lollowing description talren in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which l. is a top plan view of a piano showing the arranernent of the sounding hoard and loud 'spea er,

in the tollowin description and in the claims parts will h identified loy specific 5@ names tor convenience, hut they are intended lid to he as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Referring to the drawing more indetail, the invention is shown as applied to a grand piano having the usual keyboard ll and 55 sounding hoard l3. Aloove the sounding hoard 13 is mounted a metallic frame it on which the strings are mounted in the usual manner. Said strings are supported from bridges 15 and 16 which are secured to the co sounding hoard oi the piano.

Sounding board 13 is supported at its periphery trons the frame of the piano, and is provided with a circular opening 26 below which is mounted a loud speaker 21, or other sound propagating device. Said speaker may he clamped to a retaining ring 22 and secured by bolts 23, or may he attached to the sounding hoard in any other convenient manher. A diagonal supporting hrace 3*? is seto cured to the piano and carries a portionoi the sounding board. Said brace preferably terms a triangle with the sides of the piano in which the loud speaker 20 is mounted. Slots 40 are formed in the sounding board adjacent the corner of the piano and between said corner and brass 3? so that the portion of the sounding hoard supporting the loud speaker is held in cantilever relationship to trams ot the piano, and is free to vibrate so at its extremities.

in accordance with the ahove arrangement, the compressional waves produced by the loud speaker device 2t are applied to the soundinp; hoard and cause the same to vibrate and as reeniorce said waves. The cantilever por tion of the sounding board which is free to vihrate as a unit permits the waves to he ampliwithout distortion, and matter? ally assists in permitting the desired vibrations to he set to up in the entire sounding hoard Furthermore, the provision or" a cantilever section 0i the sounding board permits the same to vihrate more readilywhen the piano is played in the usual manner, and assists in securing as the proper tone quality.

it is ohvious that the loud speakin device may be utilized either in connection with a radio receiver or in connection with the iano itself. It is preferably located at a no al point we on the sounding board so that the normal operation thereof will not be interfered with in playing a selection on the piano.

While certain novel features of the inven tion have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing "from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a piano, a sounding board, a diagonal brace extending across a corner of said sounding board, said corner being free from support other than said brace. r

2. In a piano, a sounding board, a brace extending diagonally across a corner of said sounding board, said sounding board having slits at said corner whereby said corner is substantially free to vibrate.

3. In a musical instrument, a sounding board adapted to vibrate and reenforce the com ressional waves, a portion of said sounding oard being mounted in cantilever relationship and being free to vibrate independently of the remainder thereof.

4:. In a piano, a sounding board adapted to propagate compressional Waves, a frame supporting said sounding board, a portion of sald sounding board being mounted in overhanging relationship with respect to said frame whereby said portion is substantially free to vibrate.

5. In a piano, a sounding'board, means for supporting said sounding board in said piano whereby one corner'of said sounding board is supported in cantilever relationship to the re mainder thereof, andis free to vibrate-at its extremities.

6. In a piano, a soundingboard, means for supporting said sounding board on said piano, said sounding board havin peripheral slots whereby portions of said board are disjoined from said support and are .free to vibrate independently thereoft 7. In a piano, a sounding board havin supports at its periphery, and having an ad ditional support extending diagonally across said board, said board being free to vibrate on one side of said diagonal support and being restrained from vibration on the other side due to said peripheral support.

In testimony whereof I have herunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR.

1,893,,dhd 

